Dual polarization millimeter-wave frontend integrated circuit

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an RF frontend IC device includes a first array of transceivers to transmit and receive RF signals of a first polarization associated with a first set of RF channels. The device includes a second array of transceivers to transmit and receive RF signals of a second polarization associated with a second set of RF channels. The device includes a first converter coupled to each transceiver of the first array of transceivers and a second converter coupled to each transceiver of the second array of transceivers. The first converter is to up-convert or down-convert a signal of the first polarization based on a LO signal. The second converter is to up-convert or down-convert a signal of the second polarization based on the LO signal. The first and second array of transceivers, and the first and second converters may be implemented within a single IC chip.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A radio frequency (RF) frontend integrated circuit (IC) device, the RF frontend IC device comprising:
 a first transceiver to transmit and receive RF signals at a first polarization and a second polarization associated with a first RF channel according to a first amplitude and phase shift setting within a predetermined frequency band, wherein the first transceiver comprises:
 a first transmitter, 
 a first receiver, 
 a first transmit/receive switch coupled to the first transmitter and the first receiver, 
 a first polarization switch coupled between the first transmit/receive switch and a first antenna oriented in the first polarization and a first antenna oriented in the second polarization, wherein the first polarization switch is configured to couple the first transmitter or the first receiver to the first antenna oriented in the first polarization or the first antenna oriented in the second polarization, and 
 wherein the first transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the first transmitter or the first receiver to the first polarization switch, such that the first transmitter is to transmit RF signals or the first receiver is to receive RF signals in the first polarization or the second polarization at a given point in time; 
 
 a second transceiver to transmit and receive RF signals at the first polarization and the second polarization associated with a second RF channel according to a second amplitude and phase shift setting within the predetermined frequency band, wherein the second transceiver comprises:
 a second transmitter, 
 a second receiver, 
 a second transmit/receive switch coupled to the second transmitter and the second receiver, 
 a second polarization switch coupled between the second transmit/receive switch and a second antenna oriented in the first polarization and a second antenna oriented in the second polarization, wherein the second polarization switch is configured to couple the second transmitter or the second receiver to the second antenna oriented in the first polarization or the second antenna oriented in the second polarization, and 
 wherein the first transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the second transmitter or the second receiver to the second polarization switch, such that the second transmitter is to transmit RF signals or the second receiver is to receive RF signals in the first polarization or the second polarization at a given point in time; 
 
 a converter coupled to the first transceiver and the second transceiver, wherein the converter comprises:
 an up-converter to up-convert a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal based on a local oscillator (LO) signal into a first RF signal to be transmitted by at least one of the first or the second transceivers in the first polarization or the second polarization, 
 a down-converter to down-convert a second RF signal in the first polarization or the second polarization received from the first or the second transceivers based on the LO signal into a second IF signal, and 
 an LO in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) generator configured to receive the LO signal from a phase-lock loop (PLL) to generate an LO I/Q signal based on the LO signal, wherein the LO I/Q signal is provided to the up-converter and the down-converter; 
 
 and 
 a power combiner/divider coupled between each of the first and second transceivers and the converter, wherein the power combiner/divider is configured to combine and divide RF signals exchanged between each of the first and second transceivers and the converter. 
 
     
     
       2. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 1 , wherein the first transceiver further comprises a third transmit/receive switch coupled to the first transmitter and the first receiver, wherein the third transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the first transmitter or the first receiver to the converter at a given point in time, such that the converter is to process signals associated with the first transmitter or the first receiver. 
     
     
       3. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 2 , wherein when the first transmit/receive switch couples the first transmitter to the first antenna oriented in the first polarization or the first antenna oriented in the second polarization via the first polarization switch, the third transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the first transmitter to the converter. 
     
     
       4. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 3 , wherein when the first transmit/receive switch couples the first receiver to the first antenna oriented in the first polarization or the first antenna oriented in the second polarization via the first polarization switch, the third transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the first receiver to the converter. 
     
     
       5. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 2 , wherein the second transceiver further comprises a fourth transmit/receive switch coupled to the second transmitter and the second receiver, wherein the fourth transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the second transmitter or the second receiver to the converter at a given point in time, such that the converter is to process signals associated with the second transmitter or the second receiver. 
     
     
       6. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 5 , wherein when the second transmit/receive switch couples the second transmitter to the second antenna oriented in the first polarization or the second antenna oriented in the second polarization via the second polarization switch, the fourth transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the second transmitter to the converter. 
     
     
       7. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 6 , wherein when the second transmit/receive switch couples the second receiver to the second antenna oriented in the first polarization or the second antenna oriented in the second polarization via the second polarization switch, the fourth transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the second receiver to the converter. 
     
     
       8. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 5 , wherein the converter further comprises a fifth transmit/receive switch coupled between the power combiner/divider and the up-converter and the down converter, wherein the fifth transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the up-converter or the down-converter to the power combiner/divider at a given point in time. 
     
     
       9. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 8 , wherein when the first transmitter or the second transmitter are coupled to the power combiner/divider via the third and fourth transmit/receive switches respectively, the fifth transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the up-converter to the power combiner/divider. 
     
     
       10. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 9 , wherein when the first receiver or the second receiver are coupled to the power combiner/divider via the third and fourth transmit/receive switches respectively, the fifth transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the down-converter to the power combiner/divider. 
     
     
       11. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 8 , further comprising an IF input and output (I/O) interface to be coupled to a baseband processor, wherein the converter further comprises a sixth transmit/receiver switch coupled between the IF I/O interface and the up-converter and the down-converter. 
     
     
       12. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 11 , wherein when the fifth transmit/receive switch couples the up-converter to the power combiner/divider, the sixth transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the up-converter to the IF I/O interface. 
     
     
       13. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 12 , wherein when the fifth transmit/receive switch couples the down-converter to the power combiner/divider, the sixth transmit/receive switch is configured to couple the down-converter to the IF I/O interface. 
     
     
       14. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 1 , wherein the first polarization is a horizontal polarization and the second polarization is a vertical polarization. 
     
     
       15. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 1 , wherein the first polarization is a left hand circular polarization and the second polarization is a right hand circular polarization. 
     
     
       16. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 1 , wherein the power combiner/divider is configured to divide the first RF signal into a first set of RF sub-signals to be transmitted by the first and second transmitters. 
     
     
       17. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 16 , wherein the power combiner/divider is configured to combine a second set of RF signals received from the first and second receivers into the second RF signal. 
     
     
       18. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second transceivers are two of a plurality of transceivers coupled to the power combiner/divider, each of the plurality of transceivers corresponding to one of a plurality of RF channels. 
     
     
       19. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of transceivers is associated with a specific pair of antennas corresponding to the first polarization and the second polarization. 
     
     
       20. The RF frontend IC device of  claim 1 , wherein the converter further comprises an LO buffer coupled between the LO I/Q generator and the PLL to buffer the LO signal.